Your Home

Participants in "Transform Your Home in a Day, For Free!" - a one-night class sponsored by the Palo Alto Adult School - will learn how to redecorate a home without having to buy any new furnishings, how to create a new floor plan, how to balance color in each room and how to accessorize. Handouts will be provided explaining the step-by-step process. Taught by Kit Davey, an interior designer who specializes in redecorating, using only what you already own, the class is scheduled for 7-9 p.m., June 6, at Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road.

To register, send a $25 check to Palo Alto Adult School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301. The name, day and time of the course should be included with the check. The fee may also be paid by credit card over the phone by calling 329-3752.

Filoli events

Following is a schedule of events at Filoli, a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in Woodside:

"Hearst Castle: The Biography of a Country Home," 2-3 p.m., June 7. Cost is $20.

"Third Annual Botanical Art Exhibit," June 19 through July 14. Free with admission to Filoli.

"The Hidden Thread: Tools and Toys of California Indians" and "Calling All Coyotes," classes held June 9 and 16 for children as part of the Filoli Explorer program. Cost is $20 per class.

For more information about Filoli classes, call Cathy Ramply at 364-8300, extension 233.

Gamble Garden events in June

Ongoing special events at Gamble Garden in Palo Alto include the Master Gardener Hotline, 1-4 p.m. Fridays; the Master Gardener Plant Clinic, 9-11 a.m., the second Saturday of each month; and monthly teas in the main house, the third Wednesday of each month. Reservations may now be made for the Christmas teas scheduled for Dec. 4, 5, 6 and 7; regular teas are $15 per person, and Christmas teas are $20.

Upcoming classes include "Uncommon Vines for the Peninsula" taught by Kevin Raftery, 6:30-8 p.m., June 7; "Twilight Story Time for Young Children" by Katy Obringer, 6:30-7 p.m., June 19 and 26; and "A Summer Buffet Garden Party" (cooking demonstration), taught by Lou Pappas, 6-8:30 p.m., June 20.

For more information or to register, call 329-1356 or visit www.gamblegarden.org. Gamble Garden is located at 1431 Waverley Street, Palo Alto.

Before you build or remodel

A free preview of the 17-session class "Homeowner's Essential Course: How to Build, Remodel and Maintain Your Home" will be held 7-9 p.m., June 5, at West Valley College, Social Science Building, Room 52, 14000 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga.

The class itself runs June 12 through Aug. 9 and is taught with lectures, slide shows and demonstrations. The fee for the course is $475. Registration may be done by mail, phone ((510) 525-7610) or fax ((510) 525-0855) using MasterCard or Visa. The course is sponsored by the non-profit Building Education Center in Berkeley, which also offers "Owner Contracting," June 25-28; "Architectural Sketching" in late July; and "Drywall Hanging and Finishing," July 18 and 19. For more information on these classes or to receive a printed class schedule, call (510) 525-7610 or visit www.bldgeductr.org.

What's new at Yerba Buena

Yerba Buena Nursery, the oldest California native plant nursery, is seeking volunteers to work side by side with nursery professionals, especially in the demonstration garden. The nursery is located off Skyline Drive in Woodside. For more information, call the nursery at 851-1668.

Homeowners may arrange to receive a custom planting plan for their home garden from a Yerba Buena professional. The plan costs $250 and includes an in-person visit, a consultation and a written report on which native plants would be most appropriate for your location. To schedule an appointment, call the nursery.

Butterfly teas are held the second Sunday of each month. Upcoming teas are the Wildflower Tea, June 10; Summertime Tea, July 8; Friendship Tea, Aug. 12; and Grandparents Tea, Sept. 9. To make a reservation, call the nursery.

Groups seeking a charming place to host a special event or a getaway location for a business meeting may arrange to use the 1905 farmhouse and private garden at Yerba Buena. The Great Room is a dramatic redwood-paneled room with windows facing the lower lake and western hills. The room accommodates up to 50 people; tables, chairs and catering are provided. Due to the unique nature of the facility, private events are limited to adults only (over age 13).

Yerba Buena Nursery is located at 19500 Skyline Boulevard, Woodside, and is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.

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